Monday, November 21, 2011

Bruce Feldman: Arizona close to landing Rich Rodriguez

Expect Rich Rodriguez to be named the new Arizona head coach in the next 48 hours, according to several sources.

The 48-year-old Rodriguez, who was fired after three seasons at Michigan, had spent the past season working as a college football analyst for CBS. At Michigan, he went 15-22. Before his turbulent stint in Ann Arbor, he coached his alma mater West Virginia to a 60-26 records in seven seasons. His final three seasons he led the Mountaineers to top 12 finishes and two BCS bowl games.

Rodriguez will take over an Arizona team that is 3-8. The school had fired Mike Stoops at midseason.

Let us all hope that radio talk show hosts in Arizona don't start bad mouthing the Missus. In 2007, similar media confirmations swept the college football world when it appeared Rodriguez was on his way to replacing Mike Shula as Alabama's head coach. But according to many reports, an afternoon of mocking Rodriguez, his wife and their representations in a family portrait on the Paul Finebaum Radio Network infuriated the Rodriguez family and 72 hours after verbally accepting the job in Tuscaloosa, RichRod backed out.

Alabama later hired Nick Saban. Rodriguez went on to three unfortunate years at Michigan.